Peruvian sportscaster's racist comments trigger outrage across 2 countries

Phillip Butters called the Afro-Ecuadorian players monkey and a gorilla

Statements made by a sportscaster have sparked controversy and revived a debate over racial discrimination in Peru.

On June 14, while discussing the pending football match between Peru and Ecuador for the 2018 World Cup qualification, Phillip Butters, the host of a TV program called “ComButters”, referred first to the Afro-Ecuadorian players, and then centered specifically on one of them, Caicedo, calling him a monkey and a gorilla.

His comments, shown in the video below, drew an immediate reaction from the Afro-Peruvian community, followed by a series of statements from the Peruvian government and the Ecuadorian government.

With the Bolivians in Lima, there's no big problem. […] Afterwards, we'll play against Ecuador in Quito. The Ecuadorians aren't black, they're mountain crocodiles. They have biceps in their eyelids, brother. If they did a DNA test on Caicedo, he isn't human, he's a monkey. A gorilla.

A wave of opinions followed. There were many demonstrations, in favor and against, across social media and the press.

First tweet: Phillip Butters should apologize! Inexcusable and degrading comments about the Ecuadorian players and every person. For shame!

Reply: I'm sorry to say that it is the opposite, a large part of Peruvians are like him, and this is why he has so many followers. Our ignorance exalts him.

Butters is not homophobic or racist. It seems that you all can't stand @Phill_Butters because he thinks differently than you all.

Afro-Peruvian grassroot organisations and activists signed a press release titled “United against racism and discrimination!”, which not only condemned the sportscaster's statements, but also underlined the systemic racism that the Afro-Peruvian population experiences. It also criticised the show's guests on the day Butters made the comments, Carlos Navarro and Omar Ruiz de Somocurcio, for not challenging the declarations of their host.

The group made reference to the cultural diversity of Peruvian society and demanded compliance with the Peruvian constitution's second article:

Our country's constitution mentions, in its second article, second paragraph, that every person has the same right to ‘equality under the law. No one should be discriminated against because of origin, race, gender, preferred language, religion, opinion, economic position or any other factor.’ Also, lets remember that discrimination is a criminal offense in article 323 of the penal code.

They also added:

Through different kinds of media, taunting, mocking, objectification and animalization of people of African descent is systematic and unpunished. In that sense, we express our most forceful rebuff and we call out the responsible Peruvian state institutions to finally guarantee the right to equality and no discrimination against the Afro-Peruvian population.

The group's statement also emphasised the need to create national plans to fight discrimination and strengthen the organisations that currently work on the issue.

Butters’ comments and the swift reaction of the Afro-Peruvian movement also prompted statements from different government sectors. The Peruvian Federation of Football described the comments against the Ecuadorian players as unacceptable and discriminatory, while noting that they are part of a pact against racism together with the Ministry of Culture and other sports-related organisations in the country. The minister of culture also spoke about the comments:

Considering sportscaster Philip Butters’ degrading comments about our Ecuadorian brothers made on Wednesday, June 14 on his program &##8220;Combutters” for Willax TV, the Minister of Culture:

- Denounces every damaging act of racism aimed at anyone or any group.

– Reminds the press and the media of their fundamental role in spreading values to the citizenship.